Monday, June 14, 2010

Conversion of the Enemy

When I write there is always an inspiration behind it even if I'm not quite sure what that inspiration is. Sometimes I simply can't put my finger on what it was that made me think to write something but this is not one of those times. This is a time that I know exactly what made me think of this poem and even the style I used to write it. The words are based on the sermon Bro. Greene preached this past Sunday on John 15:13-16 which reads as follows. "13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." I definitely recommend you listen to the sermon (click here), it was great! Sometimes its the simple truths that are so meaningful and needed!

I'm not sure what you would call this style of poetry…but I enjoy it a lot and admire the people that are very good at it! One of those people is Jimmy Needham. Several of his poems caught my ear by the way that they seemed very comfortable and flowy for lack of a better description. J To see for yourself you can look up "Benediction", "Not Without Love (The Benediction)", and "Nightlights" all by Jimmy Needham. But without further ado here it is, my new poem…...
Because of Christ,
-Allix
Conversion of the Enemy


I: an enemy – dead. He: the Almighty King – rejected.
Before eternity past I was Sovereignly elected
To be, not only a vessel of Mercy and Grace
Glorifying God as my chief end,
He chose me to be His Friend. 


Sin as my cloak and Deceit as my dagger –
With nothing less than Conceit,
Arrogance, Swagger – I was so full of me
I couldn't begin to see
the Majesty of this King of Kings but
He saw me.


He saw nothing Special, worth choosing 
or saving, The wretch that I was that
sin was enslaving.
Who would die for filth?
No one in his right mind
Would take his Time, pretend to be kind –
No.


But Christ is not just anyone, He's 
God's only Son: The Righteous One
and He will be glorified.
And though I seemed satisfied with the World –
it was no life worth living. But God,
who excels at forgiving, came in
Covered sin and in the end
I was freed from my misery.


Shame and Guilt were swallowed 
by Love, and I am daily
reminded of where He brought me from.
Not because I was Shiny and New or
He thought it was just the nice thing to do.
He saved me for one reason only;
That I might glorify and honor Him, no longer
bound by Deadly Sin. But clothed wholly and
wonderfully in the Righteousness of
The Great God-Man
Who died for His enemy and made me
His friend.

©By: Allix Brunson 6/14/10

 

2 comments:

Rachel Greene said...

INCREDIBLE! Fantastic job, Allix!! So good.

Madeleine said...

Allix,
I love this poem. The words are meaningful and oh, so true. He looked at us in our filth and cleasned us- the lepers rotting in our sin; wallowing in the dirty pits of death. Thank you Lord for your mercy!
Love,
Maddie